The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's arrhythmia and ICD are related to his service-connected PTSD. The VA is instructed to obtain an independent medical expert opinion on this matter.
The deciding factor: The May 2017 VA examiner’s conclusion based solely on the lack of the Veteran’s medical treatment records finding a causal relationship between his PTSD and arrhythmia was inadequate due to the Veteran's consistent assertion that his arrhythmia was caused by stress, which is a manifestation of his service-connected PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- arrhythmia, internal cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20026107
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20026107.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertension, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, GERD, Barrett's esophagus, and arrhythmia are remanded due to pre-decisional errors in obtaining necessary medical opinions.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection due to lack of new and relevant evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error and further examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection of heart conditions was granted with an effective date of June 11, 2020. The claim had been continuously pursued since the receipt of a VA Form 21-0966 on that date.
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